This jerky brings the bold, peppery flavor of Louisiana cooking. A homemade Cajun rub goes into the marinade and onto the strips, and a splash of hot sauce adds tang. It's savory and spicy, with a heat you can turn up or down.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef eye of round or top round, trimmed of all visible fat
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp Cajun rub, divided (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional, for more heat)
Steps
- Freeze the beef for 1–2 hours until firm. Slice it 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, keeping the slices even.
- Whisk the soy sauce, Worcestershire, hot sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, 2 tbsp of the Cajun rub, black pepper and cayenne in a bowl.
- Add the beef to a zip-top bag, pour in the marinade, press out the air and refrigerate 8–24 hours, flipping once.
- Drain the strips and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Lay the strips on a rack set in a sheet pan. Lightly sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp Cajun rub over the top side.
- Heat the strips to 160°F before drying: bake in a 275°F oven for about 10 minutes, then check the thickest strip with an instant-read thermometer.
- Move the strips to dehydrator trays in a single layer with a little space between them.
- Dry at 160°F (or your dehydrator's highest setting, at least 145°F) for 4–6 hours, until a cooled strip bends and cracks without snapping.
- Blot off any oil, cool completely and store in an airtight bag or jar.
The rub
Our Cajun rub is a mix of paprika, garlic, onion, black and white pepper, cayenne, oregano and thyme. It works both in the marinade and as a dusting on top. Store-bought Cajun seasoning works too, but check the label. Many brands are very salty. Since soy sauce and Worcestershire already add salt, pick a low-salt blend or cut back on the rub in the marinade.
Control the heat
Cajun food is known for flavor first and heat second. This version lands at a medium heat. To make it milder, skip the cayenne and use a mild hot sauce. To make it hotter, add the cayenne, use a hotter sauce and press a little extra rub onto the strips. The heat gets stronger as jerky dries, so taste a strip before adding more next time.
The 160°F heat step
The USDA recommends heating beef jerky to 160°F before or at the start of drying. That's because a dehydrator's low heat may dry the meat before germs are killed. The short oven step solves this. Check the thickest strip with a meat thermometer, not the thinnest.
How to tell it's done
Let one strip cool for five minutes, then bend it. It should crack along the bend but not break in two. If it bends like rubber, dry it another 30–60 minutes.
Make it smoky
For a smoky Cajun jerky, try the method in our pellet smoker beef jerky recipe with this marinade. Pecan or hickory wood both suit Cajun spices.
Storage
Keep the jerky in an airtight bag or jar. It lasts about 1–2 weeks at room temperature, 1–2 months in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer.
Gear for this recipe
- A dehydrator with a rear fan for even drying
- An instant-read thermometer for the 160°F check
- A sharp slicing knife or a meat slicer
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